Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-06-01
COMPLETE COMMUNISM.

How Russian Workingmen are Kept in
Subsection.
The most absolute communism ex-
lists among Russian workingmen.
They are organized into an aesocia-
tiop, whose chief, the staroste, buys
food and clothing for all, takes charge
of the kitchen, is an arbitrator and
Judge of the peace, answers for them
to the police, and watches over the in
terests Of the association. A police
officer appointed by the government
watches the men, inspects all the books
and pamphlets which they read, lis
tens to their conversation, and alone
gives authorization for the men to
leave the factory, examining each one
carefully on his return. From June
to September most of the men go home
to work on their farms. Ii it Is absO-
lutely necessary for them to remain at
their looms, they employ other men
to replace them at home; but the
managers have to employ q great deal
of diplomacy to induce them to con-
sent to such an arrangement. Their
isba and farm have an attraction for
the peasants which the seductions Of
the city are not able to overcome.
During the Easter holidays all the fac
tories close. Nothing in the world
would induce the workman to cele-
brate this popular feast away from
his village. These exceptional social
conditions cause a continual change
in the employees of the factories, and
at least one-third are changed every
year.
Except day each week, which the
workmen scrupulously devote to
drinking, they are of exceptional pro-
priety. A little oatmeal porridge, an
onion with salt, glass of tea and
they are satisfied. Allidea OF comfort,
of gastronomic satisfaction, is I'M
known to them, and they amuse them
selves the most innocently in the
world In. passing whole day gaping
along the side of the hedges. In most
of the factories men, women, young
girls and children sleep promiscuOusly
together. In the summer they battle
all together, in g. state of nature, in
the river or bathing places construct
ed for this purpose.
The mills are dismal and gloomy;
nothing is heard but the sound of the
IAdCuiuCS 1u0 AOOIuS, LIZ SSESS, AZ
laughter; it is the silence of q prison.
Both men and women have an express
sion of melancholy, Indifference and
fatalism on their faces without any
look of generous emotion. The mou-
lick, peasant or workman, lives in an
atmosphere of servility and ignorance;
he is not yet born into habits of indie
pendence. His past weighs on him,
the present troubles him, and the fu-
ture Is closed to him by the complete
absence of education and the lack OF
intellectual motive. Hence his care
lessness for the morrow is equaled by
his sad passiveness of to-day.
The managers of the factories have
never been able to persuade the Rus
sian workmen to establish fund for
old age or for mutual help. They will
ingly practice communism among
themselves, but seem to be Instructive
~ hostile to the idea OF moral and
material solidarity. They have no
pride in their trade; the workman who
one day is weaving the most beautiful
velvet, or carving exquisitely in bone,
will go without regret or hesitation,
the following day, on the order of his
chief, TO break stones in the road if
the pay is the same.
There is no fear ofstrikes in Russia.
At the first symptom of socialistic
tendencies, or of attempts at combi-
nation, the workman is either sent to
Siberia or thrown into dungeon in
some fortress; from these places he
scarcely ever returns.